That Three Word Phrase
by Sage of Downtown Hyrule
Summary: Sometimes, the confession isn't always the worst. It can also be the response. For Marth, taking the chance was just the begining of his misery. All he has to do now is endure the memory. MarthSamus. Oneshot.


That Three Word Phrase

By Sage of Downtown Hyrule

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The last few rays of sunlight hid themselves behind the clouds, the cool breeze washed over Marth as the sun lowered itself into the trees far in the distance. He inhaled deeply as it got darker. He didn't care how long he was out here, just as long as he didn't have to face her. He thought for sure that he couldn't go wrong, sadly, he was very mistaken.

Did it have to be that that headstrung bounty hunter couldn't give him a straight answer? He stood there, looking like the biggest fool as she just stared at him with those piercing emerald eyes.

He couldn't take it any more.

He ran outside, seeking refuge away from the pain. Despite everything he felt, happiness was a forgien language to him now.

Samus Aran.

The name ripped at his sanity. It devoured him like a lion on a helpless rabbit. He wished he could freeze and take back time, and stop himself for telling the stubborn woman how he felt. She couldn't even tell him she was disgusted... nothing.

He finally broke away from her gaze to run out the door in blind pain. She didn't bother to come after him. She had no sympathy for him. She wasn't the one in love with someone that would never return her feelings.

He felt the gazes of twenty four other smasher on his back, but, he didn't care. All he cared about was getting away from her. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't hate her, he loved her too much.

Now, there was nothing but discomfort and unreliquished tears. Marth lifted a hand to his face and wiped one of the salty abominations from his own eyes.

Marth just lowered himself to the ground and hugged his knees. He couldn't even bear to think of her.

He burried his face on his knees. His vision became dark and blury. He didn't even care about his pride right now, he just wanted to cry.

He felt stupid and foolish, he was insane to think that something would go right for him. He could still see her beautiful face in his mind. Hear the comforting words that were once directed to him.

Now, there were no words, just broken hearts.

He wasn't weak. He wasn't a sissy. He was a man that had been denied the burning passion known as love, even though he felt it for her.

Her.

The word burned his throat to the point of insanity. He uncoiled his arms from around his legs and beat madly at the ground around.

Why couldn't he get her off his mind? Why couldn't he just get on with his life? Even after hurt, she pulled on his heartstrigs as if his heart was some sort of puppet in a show. As if his heart was some sort of plaything.

He clutched his head in agony, "Why?" he screamed at the sky, as if it could help him.

The only reply Marth of Altea heard was his own echo repeating his words back at him.

He stood up abruptedly and wiped his tear stained eyes. The silence she gave him sounded like nails against a blackboard. Etching painfully into the back of his skull like a drill. He could almost hear agonizing yells in his head as he walked around, headed for nowhere.

He stumbled blindly into the woods surrounding the Smash Mansion in which the the Smash participants lived.

He slid down the side of a tree and sat there in the woods. The darkness engulfing him in his own pity. Again her face pushed it's way into his thoughts, making everything else meaningless in its midst.

Why couldn't her memory just set him free? His feelings obviously weren't going to be returned, so, why was his mind leading him on? Why was his own brain taking advantage of his feelings?

These questions could never seem to be answered.

He allowed his head to rest on the tree, and he stared up at the stary sky. He looked at all the silent serenity. He would enjoy it if he could be staring at it beside the one he cared for. But she could care less for him.

Why else would someone just stare at you after you poured out all of you emotions in three little words?

He had finally taken that step, and he had failed miserably. It plagued him like some sort of disease. And it wouldn't go away until he could stop the memory, kill pain itself.

There was only one way to kill pain, and that was to kill the source.

He slapped himself mentally for just debating on ending the source: himself. It shouldn't bother him this much, it was just a girl.

No, she was THE girl. And no matter how much he lied to himself and said he didn't care, he knew it was a lie. It killed him inside to not have her beside him, to not hear friendly words whispered in his ear. His best friend was merely a blank spot in the back of his mind; he wanted more.

The stars seemed to lose their brilliance, and the night seemed even lonelier than usual. He wanted to be able to hold her, something he now wouldn't be able to do.

And it was all thanks to that blasted three word phrase.

"I love you."

He repeated the phrase to the air, the pain striking a mad fire within his heart.

Searing tears passed down his face. His once handsome features were now struck with pain, the regret of trying, and the consequences of failing.

Why did it have to be like this?

It seemed like he had asked himself that a million times. And he probably had.

The trees rustled in the cold wind, whipping around the prince's cape. There was no warmth in his life. All happiness had been sucked from it. Leaves skidded carelessly across the damp ground of the dense woods.

He picked up a small twig.

He snapped into twos, thirds, and then fourths. This represented his heart, ripped to pieces as if it was a scrap of useless paper.

But then again, she didn't say no, she merely left him there, hanging on for an answer. Hanging on a thread, two inches from going crazy.

Then, after her prolonged silence, he left. He knew she was still staring after him with her deep green eyes.

But something pushed him forward, and before he knew it, he was sitting surrounded by nothing by trees. Drenched in agony and heartbreak.

"Marth?"

The Altean nearly choked. He knew that voice too well.

It was the one that once comforted him through his toughest battles. It was the one of his love. It was the voice of the one who gave him nothing but dead silence thirty minutes before.

Marth quickly stood up and wiped his hot tears.

"Marth?" she repeated.

He turned his around so his back faced her.

"What?" he asked a little more angrily than he had planned.

He tilted his head to the side to see Samus Aran out of the corner of his eye, eyes welling with tears just as much as his had been.

"What did you say to me earlier?" she asked.

Marth's jaw tightened. It was hard enough to tell her the first time. And now she wanted him to repeat it? He couldn't do it. He couldn't even face her.

"Please," her voice pleaded

Almost on impulse, Marth turned to face Samus for the first time since his confession.

The Altean Prince gently grabbed both of the bounty hunter's wrists and pressed his warm lips against hers.

Samus just stood there wide-eyed, but didn't pull away. She let Marth continue to kiss her for what seemed like hours.

He finally gently released her, "I love you," he repeated.

Samus stared into his saphire eyes, still panting from the kiss. She found them full of warmth and passion. She wanted to apologize, to tell him she was just taken by surprise by his confession. Because she had a secret for him herself.

She wrapped both of her arms around his neck. Marth pushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her face.

Then, she leaned in and whispered that three word phrase into his ear.

They both smiled for the first time that night.

That three word phrase.

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**Sorry, I started chapter four of Lies and Mistakes, when I got a little bored. So, I just opened up another document and decided to try a oneshot with Marth and Samus. I tried to make it angsty, and I really hope I was successful. This is supposed to be short, and I thought it would be nice to end it right there. Thanks for reading, review if you liked it. I had to remove this and make a change. When this was posted the first time, a very nice reviewer let me know I called Marth an Altean Princess. I thank that one reviewer, and hope he/she will re-review if they wish. I just was embarassed out of my mind from that mistake.**

-SH


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